Blackbriar
by DelenaDJ
Summary: PART OF MY CANON COLLECTION. The heart can be a fickle thing especially when the love of your life breaks your heart. This is the story of Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert and how everything changed for them when they paid a visit to the illustrious vampire coven, Blackbriar.
1. New Day

Damon was pissed. He wasn't getting anywhere on his mission to free Katherine, he was attacked, and he smelled like gas. This was a no good, very bad night. Well, not totally. He had got to spend the day with the lovely Elena and seeing her let loose for once had intrigued him. She had never been like that with Stefan. He knew he had a connection with Elena since the moment he met her on Wickery Bridge, but his century old plan to free Katherine was still holding firm in his mind even though he was getting tired of it. Was she even worth it? Damon shook the thought out of his mind when he walked back into Bree's bar. Bree was drinking and when she turned around, Damon was behind her. She was shocked.

"We were just leaving. I wanted to say good bye."

"Good to see you again, Damon." Damon glared at Bree. "I'm full of vervain. I put it in everything I drink."

"And you're telling me this why?"

"Lexi was my friend. How could you?" Damon moved toward her. "The tomb can be opened."

"You're lying!"

"There's a way. I swear. I know someone who could help you. A vampire."

"And how can another vampire help me?"

"She's one of a kind. There's no one else in the world like her. She's a bloody freak of nature. She retained her witch powers when she turned. Her specialty is spell breaking. She can open the tomb."

"And who is this vamp-witch?"

"Her name's Emma. Emma Black."

"Emma," Damon chuckled.

"I'm telling you the truth."

"And I believe you. That's why I'm almost sorry." He ripped the witch's heart out and wiped his bloody hand off with a dishtowel. Damon then walked out to his car and saw Elena sleeping in the front seat. As he started the engine, she roused.

"Damon? Where are we going?"

"How about we extend this five second break?"

"Okay. Wake me up when we get there," Elena mumbled before falling asleep again. Damon smirked as he headed toward Asheville, Tennessee. Talk about a small world.

The following morning at a Victorian mansion on the outskirts of Asheville, a brunette vampire with steely blue eyes woke. She sat up in bed and worked out the kinks in her neck before grabbing a silky red robe from the end of the bed. An arm curved around her waist and lips met her neck.

"You were so good last night, baby," said the human.

"I'm glad I was able to give you the best night of your life."

"And the best morning." Suddenly, the woman grabbed him by the throat and sank her fangs into his neck, drinking him dry.

"I don't do mornings." Another man entered the room.

"Good meal?" he asked.

"Eh. He was pretty average. I have errands to run. I'll be back in a while."

"Sure, Emma. I'll see you when you get back." After taking a shower and getting dressed, Emma drove a silver SUV away from the mansion and down a dirt road. She stopped when she noticed three humans near her property, standing over a dead body. She stopped her car and exited the vehicle. She smelled the air before closing the door and picked up on two distinctive scents. One she recognized and she smiled. Damon. It appears he was on his way home.

"If it isn't Boo Radley," said the sheriff's deputy.

"Don't start," the sheriff warned her employee. "They're quiet. They keep to themselves. If more around here were only like that."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Emma asked. She took a sigh when she saw the body, ripped and torn to shreds.

"There's not much anyone can do at this point, Ms. Black," said the sheriff.

"What do you think could have done that?"

"Coroner will rule cause of death."

"That's an animal kill," said the hunter who found the body.

"Deputy O'Neill, could you get the tarp out of the truck? No one else needs to see this. Michael Braxton tells me he's heard wolves up your way in the past."

"I don't hunt up at Blackbriar so I'm not entirely aware of what passes through, but I think we've heard wolves as well."

"Well, if the Sheriff rules a wolf kill, I'm going to want to do a one-mile sweep of this area which will brush up against your property."

"Of course. Anything I can do to help." Emma walked away and once she was in the car, she called the house.

"Hey, Emma. What's up?"

"We have a problem. A girl was killed." Emma then drove back toward the house and told the vampires that lived with her about the situation. Emma smirked when she heard the roar of a familiar Camaro. She walked outside just as Elena and Damon left the car. "Well, well, look what the cat drug in."

"Emma," Damon smiled.

"If it isn't Damon Salvatore, my favorite vampire." The two hugged. "It's good to see you, my friend." In a complete change of character, Emma grabbed Damon by the throat. "Please tell me you weren't hunting near the property or I might have to reorganize your insides."

"What are you talking about? I just got here for Christ's sake."

"Okay. Just wanted to make sure." Emma dropped him. Elena looked between the two, very confused. Emma looked at Elena and took a double take. "Damon…"

"This is my friend, Elena Gilbert." Emma took in Elena's scent and realized she wasn't Katherine.

"Right. Elena. Well, it's very nice to meet you." The two women shook hands and Emma was accosted by a series of visions of the future. She shook it off, not wanting to worry anyone, but Damon wasn't fooled. "What smells like gas?"

"That would be me," Damon replied. "Mind if I take a shower before we catch up."

"Of course. Your room's the same as you left it." Emma walked back into the house.

"What is this place, Damon?" Elena asked.

"Don't dawdle!" Emma called. "I'll explain everything once you're inside." Damon and Elena then walked into the mansion. Damon excused himself to take a shower while Emma led Elena into the grand parlor of the house.

"Wow. Nice house. I think it rivals Damon and Stefan's."

"Thank you. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Dominic, think you could whip something up real quick?" Emma said, even though no one was in the room. She nodded. "My friend, Dominic, is in the kitchen. He's an excellent chef, even better than Damon."

"I wouldn't know."

"You two aren't…"

"No. I'm dating his brother…well, I was dating his brother. It's really complicated."

"I see. Well, I'm Emma Black, a vampire-witch."

"How do you know Damon?"

"Oh, we're old friends." Elena scrunched up her nose in distaste. "Oh no. Not that way. Really, just friends."

"Oh, sorry for assuming."

"It's okay. Considering his reputation, I would have assumed the same thing if I were you. How much do you know about vampires?"

"The basics."

"Well, there is a somewhat loose society governing vampires. Vampires that are alone after they are turned rarely survive the first five years. That is why there are vampire covens scattered all throughout the world. We offer protection, family. We teach the new vampires and we always offer a place for our members to rest their head when they come back home. I'm what's called the coven master. You could say I'm sort of the den mother of the Blackbriar Coven." A tall man with sandy brown hair then entered the room, carrying a soda and a sandwich.

"Here you go," he said.

"Thanks." Damon then walked back in, wearing a fresh set of clothes.

"So what brings you back home, Damon?" Emma asked.

"Maybe we should talk in private." Emma wasn't buying what Damon was selling.

"You brought your little pet human here."

"Hey!" Elena yelled.

"She's a Petrova. She can handle whatever it is you've been scheming. Tell her."

"Damon, what's going on?"

"What Emma is referring to is the reason why I came back to Mystic Falls. Katherine isn't dead. She's locked in a tomb underneath the old church with all the other vampires from 1864. I want to free her and we came here because I need Emma's help to do it."

"I thought that witch, Bree, told you how to undo the spell," said Emma.

"I reached a roadblock. Crystal's destroyed. I need you to break the spell so I can get Katherine." Emma rolled her eyes. "Emma, come on."

"Wait, you can't unleash all those vampires on the town," Elena countered. Damon and Elena quibbled for a few minutes before Emma slammed her hand on the table.

"Enough! I'm not releasing Katherine, Damon," Emma replied.

"Emma, please."

"You know, I thought I was sparing you the grief, but you're so damn stubborn that there's no point keeping it from you anymore. And you never listen to what I say. I'm not releasing Katherine because there's nowhere to release her from."

"What are you…"

"She tricked you like she's tricked every other man in her life and you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. She was never in the tomb, Damon."

"No, I saw them take her…"

"And I just saw her last month. Living it up in New York. She was never in the tomb. She never loved you. She played you." Damon slumped to the couch at the realization. It sounded just like something Katherine would do, but the reality of the situation was absolutely mind blowing. "I do agree that the tomb needs to be opened."

"Wait, but you just said…" Elena began.

"I know what I said. I said I wouldn't release Katherine. I said nothing about the others. Little known fact, Katherine was a member of the Blackbriar Coven until I kicked her out."

"What did she do?" Damon asked.

"She set fire to Atlanta, forcing us to move. I liked the house there, I was pissed, I expelled her. Katherine, as you know, Damon, is very old, not older than me, but her strength was valued by many coven members. She orchestrated a coup which failed miserably. A schism developed in the coven and those that had switched sides left Atlanta with Katherine for Mystic Falls. Those vampires that are in the tomb are my coven mates. I would like to free them and bring them back. One of them is…special to me." Emma handed Damon a photo.

"This is…"

"Dante, my husband. Katherine seduced him and convinced him that it was best for everyone if I wasn't in power. He betrayed me and joined Katherine in Mystic Falls. However, he soon became weary of Katherine's games and sent me a message, that he wanted to come back, that he still loved me. I can be very forgiving when I want to be. I told him I'd meet him in Mystic Falls and we'd take care of Katherine together, but by the time I got there all hell had broken loose. My coven mates along with Dante had already been imprisoned and Katherine had fled. You and I met two years after that incident, Damon. That's why I let you into this coven. Because I knew you'd find a way into that tomb. You'd make sure it was protected. I've been preparing for this day for over a century. And, Elena, you shouldn't be worried about your little town. It won't suffer because of the vampires' release. I know how to handle them. I know I've given you both a lot to process. I will leave with you in the morning for Mystic Falls. Take the day, rest. I have things to prepare for."

"Wait. How are you going to get the tomb open?" Elena asked.

"Since the crystal is gone, we only have one other option. Emily Bennett's grimoire, her spell book. If you know how she closed the tomb the reversal process will be in her book. If you'll excuse me…" Emma then walked into her study and shut door. Dominic was looking out the window.

"You sure know how to put on a good act," Dominic complimented as he handed Emma a drink. "They didn't suspect a thing."

"I haven't lived for eight hundred years and not picked up a few tricks, Dom. Dante is dead. I killed him myself for his betrayal when he came crawling back, but I need to get in that tomb. I have to draw Katerina out so I can get _him_ back. I won't rest until I do."

"And I'll do whatever it is you need me to do," Dominic replied.

"The girl, when I touched her hand, I had a vision."

"Of what?"

"It was mostly flashes of images, very incongruous, not in sequence. I have always felt bad that I was never able to pull Damon out of his own darkness, but that girl…" Emma walked to a shelf and pulled out a pink plant. "Take this plant and grind it into something for them to drink. Tea would be good or Damon's blood."

"What does it do?"

"It's Murdock weed. Lowers inhibitions. Even I could see they already possess a connection. They just need a little shove into the right direction."

"You're absolutely devious, but why? Why push him toward this girl?"

"I've always seen a little bit of myself in Damon. I'm far from being redeemed, but him…things can not stay as they are."

"As you wish."

"Oh, I'm going to leave you in charge here while I'm gone. Find out who that vampire was that was feeding on our property and kill him." Dominic nodded and then prepared some tea for Elena and some blood for Damon.

"Emma asked me to bring you guys something to drink," said Dominic, walking back into the living room.

"Where is Emma?" Damon asked, obviously still affected by today's revelations.

"She's resting. Talking about Dante…it wears her down."

"She's not well?"

"She's been depressed a lot."

"When did this happen?" Damon asked after taking a sip of his blood. Dominic watched as Elena also took a drink of her tea.

"Ever since you left. Not much of the coven's left, Damon. She drowns herself in blood. She needs this. She needs Dante."

"I need some air," said Damon, leaving the room. There was this immense amount of guilt weighing on him. Emma had been fine when he left, happy even. Had he been the cause of such pain? He should have listened to his gut. He should have never gone back to Mystic Falls. But then he would never have met Elena. As he continued to walk, Damon began to collect himself more and more with every step. Elena. It all became clear to him. This was what he needed. The only question would be would she be willing to give it?

When Damon arrived back to his room at Blackbriar, he saw Elena curled up on his king-sized bed. Having changed into one of his oversized t-shirt he kept at the estate, her head was buried into the pillow and Damon could hear faint sniffles coming from her body. A wave of guilt washed over him. He shouldn't have left. She probably thought he had abandoned her in this house full of vampires. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair.

"Elena, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that. It won't ever happen again." Elena wiped away her tears and moved to lie on her back.

"I talked to Stefan and Jenna."

"Oh."

"I broke up with him. I can't take the lies anymore. All he does is lie. I asked him about Katherine, how we were related. I'm not a Gilbert. I was adopted. I hate him for keeping this from me and you're the only one I can talk to, but I have Katherine's freakin' face and…" Damon stopped Elena's stammering by placing a hand on her face.

"Hey, hey, take a breath. It's okay. It's okay." He ran a finger down her cheek.

"I'm sorry I look like her."

"Shh. You don't."

"What?"

"When I look at you, all I see is Elena Gilbert. I don't see Katherine Pierce. You two couldn't be more different. You're everything she's not."

"I'm sorry about Katherine."

"Don't be. I was afraid to admit it."

"Admit what?"

"I think deep down I've always known that I…that I fell out of love with her. You're so beautiful, more so than Katherine." He stroked her cheek. He couldn't resist himself anymore. The words just poured out of him. Honestly, he'd fallen in love with Elena the moment he met her on Wickery Bridge. He'd seen his future with her.

"Damon."

"We'd be so good together, but Stefan's screwed everything up now," Damon whispered as he leaned his head against Elena's. "I'd never hurt you. I'd never lie to you like he has. God, I want you and not just because of this thing with Katherine. I've always wanted you."

"Me too," Elena admitted. She couldn't hold back, not when she saw this new side of him, this vulnerable man who just wanted to be loved. Truth be told, she'd fallen for him the moment he kissed her hand. She was just really good at hiding it. "Kiss me." They both looked at each other, desperation evident in their eyes. They needed each other.

"I'm not Stefan, Elena."

"I don't want him," Elena whispered as she cupped Damon's face. "I want you."

"For how long?"

"For as long as you want me."

"That'll be a long time."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Damon couldn't hold what little self-control he had back. His lips met hers in an instant. Elena moaned into the kiss, letting his tongue invade her mouth, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Damon's hands carded through her dark brunette locks, moving her head to give him the perfect angle to dominate her. It was incredible. Just one kiss and he felt the sparks between them fly, the flame rise up. Elena pushed his jacket off him when the kiss broke and Damon wrapped her legs around his waist before pushing her to lay flat on the bed. He pressed a multitude of short kisses to her cheek and neck before meeting her tempting lips again. He groaned when Elena ground against his erection. His hands moved up her bare thighs to squeeze her ass harder against him.

"I want you," Elena whispered into his ear as she increased the pressure between them. Damon slid his hands up Elena's back, taking the shirt with him, before pulling it off completely and revealing Elena's perfect bare breasts. Damon was speechless. Elena took the opportunity to remove his shirt and push him onto his back so she was straddling him. Not wanting to be outdone, he sat up and kissed her neck as she rocked against his hardness. When his mouth encircled her breast, she gasped and carded a hand through his hair, pulling at the strands with each suck and tug. Elena had never had it this good and the thought of going back to Stefan made her sick. She could never go back after this. She didn't know if Damon loved her, but at this point she didn't care. She just wanted him.

"Damon, please." He pushed her onto her back and trailed kisses down her stomach as he pulled down her panties. As he unbuttoned his pants to relieve some of the pressure of his hardness, Elena let her legs fall open to tempt him.

"Oh, you're so bad to tempt a vampire like this."

"Maybe I like a little bit of the bad."

"I hope you don't later regret that." And then he went in for the kill, giving her a long lick that brushed up against her clit. Elena moaned, arching up, and carded her hand through his hair. As he sucked at her clit, he moved her legs up onto his shoulders and drank her in ravenously.

"Oh, God, Damon! Yes! Oh, more. YES!" Elena screamed as her orgasm consumed her, crashing against her like a tidal wave. Elena panted as Damon kissed back up to her face. "You're amazing."

"Who knew Elena Gilbert was a ravenous sex fiend in bed."

"I wasn't always good little Elena Gilbert."

"Hmm. I think I like that." Damon kissed her languidly, stroking the skin of her thigh.

"I love you." Elena blushed when she realized it'd come out. She tried to turn away, but Damon took her face in his hands.

"Want to know a secret? I love you too."

"Really?" Elena smiled.

"Really." Elena grabbed him and kissed him passionately. "I need you…inside me," she whispered as she hurriedly pushed his jeans off, leaving him in all his naked glory, as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. She pushed him onto his back and slammed onto his rock hard length, causing a loud groan to rip through both their throats. Elena couldn't believe how wide he stretched her and she stilled to accommodate him. Damon surprised her with a small thrust.

"Bigger?" he asked.

"Way bigger, baby," Elena smirked as she began to ride him. Damon moaned and placed his hands on her hips, guiding her. "I need more." At vampire speed, Damon flipped her onto her back and wrapped her legs around him, pushing them up higher and higher as he thrusted into her tight, wet heat.

"Like this?"

"Oh, more! Yes! Just like that! Oh, harder!"

Their moans and groans echoed through the house and as Emma passed down the hallway, she smirked. Everything was going according to plan. The entire night for Damon and Elena was filled with passionate kisses and hard thrusts, gentle caresses and blossoming emotions. And the morning…well…there really wasn't that much of a difference. Dominic wiped his eyes as he walked down the hallway to wake up the two lovebirds.

"Yo," he said, knocking on the door, but not opening it. "Wrap it up. Emma's ready to roll." Damon pulled away from Elena's lips with a sigh.

"I'm glad this happened," said Elena as she ran her fingers across Damon's cheek and down his neck.

"Me too. There's a part of me that doesn't want to believe this is happening."

"Well, it did."

"Any regrets?"

"None whatsoever. How are you feeling…after…"

"Shh. Don't say her name. It'll ruin the moment. At the risk of sounding vulnerable, what are we going to do when we get back to Mystic Falls?"

"Well, I think you should drop me off at home. I'll try to smooth things over with Jenna and then maybe you can come over."

"So this is really happening. I'm not hallucinating actually being happy for once am I?" Elena shook her head.

"I'm not going back to Stefan, Damon. He lied to me. I can't be with someone who lies, who's using me as his Katherine replacement. Eventually, we'll tell him about us…together. But right now I just want to be with you. And we…we have something. I know you have some…issues, but I don't care. I love you. I'm not going to leave you. I say we just take it one day at a time."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Damon grinned before kissing her again.


	2. Break On Through (To The Other Side)

It was late at the Salvatore Boarding House when Stefan walked into the library to see books strewn across the floor as Damon searched voraciously for a particular volume.

"What are you lookin' for?" Stefan asked, entering the room.

"Not your concern," Damon muttered.

"No, but putting Elena in harm's way. That is my concern."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Atlanta."

"Oh, yeah. Elena and I had a blast."

"There's another way for you to get into that tomb. Is that what Emma said? I'm assuming that's the only reason why she's currently occupying one of the guest bedrooms. To help you."

"You're pathetic when you're fishing."

"And you're transparent when you're deflecting."

"Don't you have school?" Damon sent Stefan a meaningful look before pointing upstairs and then outside. Stefan's head quirked before he nodded and the two brothers walked outside into the forest. After reaching a far enough distance, they stopped.

"You want to tell me exactly what's going on? I thought you and Emma were buddy-buddy. Although it doesn't surprise me you're keeping secrets from her too."

"The one who's keeping secrets is Emma. I no longer have any desire to open the tomb."

"Over a century of waiting and your desire for Katherine's freedom goes away, just like that. I'm not buying it."

"I don't care whether you buy it or not. Let's just say I received some information that has changed my perception of our dear sire." Stefan looked at him to continue. "She was never in the tomb. She played us both like fools. The wench has been out and about this entire time."

"What?"

"Yep. I heard it straight from Emma. Consequently, my visit to Blackbriar has seemed to bring about more problems than solutions."

"What do you mean?"

"Emma wants in the tomb."

"Why?"

"Well one, the vampires in there are Blackbriar vampires. She wants to reassemble her coven. And two, she claims Dante is in the tomb, but I know for a fact that he's dead."

"And how do you know that?"

"I just know okay? Let's leave it at that," Damon growled, having no interest in relaying his years at Augustine to his little brother. "Emma lied to me and I want to know why."

"What's your plan?"

"Go along with opening the tomb until I can uncover her true motives."

"And then?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet. You have two choices. You can either help me or stand in my way. What's it going to be?"

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Elena or the people in this town. I'm in…on one condition."

"And that is?"

"I want to know exactly what happened during your little jaunt to the Deep South. Elena broke up with me and will no longer take my calls, something I'm sure you had to do with. Did you compel her?"

"Stefan, I don't have to compel a girl to get her to sleep with me." That smart remark earned Damon a sharp blow to the face. Stefan went to punch his brother again, but Damon grabbed his arm. "I gave you that one for free. Try it again and I'll crush you."

"You slept with my girlfriend!"

"Newsflash. She's your ex-girlfriend…and my girlfriend if we're going to be all honest and transparent." Stefan growled. "Ah, ah, ah. I will crush you and you know it and on the off chance that you get another lick in, think about how disappointed Elena will be when she finds out you're not the pacifist golden boy she thinks you are. Remember Monterey?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Don't give Elena any grief and I won't."

"I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah. Like I haven't heard that one before."

"I'm going to see what Emma's up to."

"Good luck with that," Damon scoffed.

Later that evening, Damon was at Elena's house, kissing her on her bed.

"Damon, who was that man in the road?" Elena asked when they finally took a breath.

"I don't know. You remember anything else about him?"

"I wish. I never really saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I can remember is that there were these black boots coming toward me."

"Hmm. Well, I raided my private vervain stash before coming here. It's for you and whoever else you want to give any vervain to." He grabbed a box at the end of the bed and handed it to her. "You can put it in pretty much anything. Jewelry, food, drink. As long as it's in you or on you, a vampire can't mess with your head. This is for you." He pulled out an antique sapphire oval locket. "To replace the necklace Stefan gave you."

"It's beautiful."

"Don't tell Stefan, but it was my mother's. She gave it to me before Stefan was born, before she died."

"Damon, I can't…"

"I want you to have it. She would want you to have it. It has vervain in it."

"Damon, I trust you."

"It's not me I'm worried about." Elena glanced at Damon. "There's a vampire around town that I don't know, but more importantly Stefan's a little…unhinged right now." He remembered the punch he had received earlier and touched his face.

"He didn't!" Elena replied.

"Oh, he did."

"I will talk to him."

"No, you will not because I already took care of it, princess. Don't you worry about Stefan. I can take care of my little brother. I just want to make sure you're protected on the chance I'm having an off day. There's another vampire in town. It's not exactly my style, but until I can find out who it is and what he wants we should exercise a little bit of caution."

"Thank you for the necklace. I'll treat with care," Elena nodded understandingly.

"I know you will."

Downstairs, Jeremy was sketching at the dining room table. The doorbell rang and he went to answer it. A pizza delivery guy was waiting on the front porch.

"Hey. It's gonna be $22."

"Elena, I need the money! Here. Come in. Just put it on the table." Jeremy walked back into the dining room. The young man stood on the front porch for a moment longer before crossing the threshold into the house. He placed the pizza on the table while Elena came down the stairs, retrieving the money from her wallet.

"Hi. Keep the change," she said.

"Thanks. You have yourself a good night." Elena smiled and shut the door. The man turned around, pulled the hood of his sweater over his head, and walked down the steps of the front porch, whistling cheerily.

The following evening, Elena was walking through the parking lot outside the Grill. Her cell phone started ringing and she retrieved it from her purse.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello, Elena."

"Who is this?"

"You hit me with your car." Elena froze. "Is that a new one?" Elena looked behind her and saw the man in the hoodie approaching her. "You got away from me. You won't next time." As the man approached her, Emma sped between them and hissed, flashing her vampire fangs. The man sped away.

"Are you alright?" Emma asked, glancing at the scared girl. A few minutes later, Elena was sitting on a couch in the library of the Boarding House, speaking with Damon and Emma.

"Why me? What does he want with me? And if he's trying to kill me, then why call first?"

"Because we're predators, Elena," Emma answered. "We hunt. We stalk. It's often as exciting as the kill."

"I want you to take this," said Damon as he fished the Gilbert Compass out of his pocket.

"That's Jeremy's pocket watch. How did you get it?" Elena asked.

"I stole it from Logan who must have taken it from you." Elena opened it up and observed the contents, confused.

"What happened to it?"

"Well, it's not just a watch. It's a compass, but it points to vampires."

"Why did my father have it?"

"The Gilberts if I remember correctly were one of the founding families," said Emma. "Back in 1864, they sought to eradicate vampires and used that device to find my coven mates."

"I want you to keep this," Damon added. "That way you'll know if you're ever in danger." Elena nodded and Damon caressed her cheek. She smiled and pulled Damon in for a kiss. Emma left, giving the two lovebirds their space and sensing Stefan's angst from the other room. She walked into the parlor and noticed Stefan's hand gripping his glass of alcohol too tight.

"Easy, killer. Wouldn't want you to waste that fifty-year old bourbon."

"This is your fault," Stefan growled.

"Oh really?" Emma chuckled.

"If he'd never taken her to your house, this would never have happened. She would have come back to me."

"You keep telling yourself that, but just so you know, this was always meant to happen. I just expedited the process."

"What did you do?"

"That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot."

"Now I know where Damon gets it from."

"Gets what from?"

"The annoying one-liners." Emma chuckled before leaving.

The following evening, Stefan walked down the stairs, ready for the 50s dance tonight. He saw Emma sitting at a desk in the parlor, writing down names of the founding families from back in 1864.

"Going to enjoy a night out? I hear Damon is taking Elena to the dance. Who's your date?" Emma asked.

"You. Get changed. You're coming with me." Emma quirked a brow.

"Well, you got the hair right." Stefan threw an old journal on the desk. "Why are you bringing me your father's journal?"

"Cause you and Damon have been looking for it."

"Why would I want it?"

"Gee, I don't know, Emma. Maybe you want a little light reading to put you to sleep. Go ahead. Enjoy it. I have. Nowhere in it does it say anything about the tomb or how to open it."

"I'm not surprised," said Emma as she leaved through the journal. She grimaced at the handwriting. It was practically illegible. "Man could barely spell his own name."

"I'm really sorry that it won't be of any help with Damon's diabolical plan, the sequel. You know, I could help you."

"You? Help me? I don't know about that, Stefan. Seems a little unnatural."

"You are the most annoying woman I've ever met. I'll do anything to get you out of this town, even release Dante."

"What about the other twenty-six vampires?"

"No, no, no. They can't come. They have to stay put, but Dante, I would consider that."

"What are you doing? Hmm? What's your angle? Because you always have one."

"Think about it."

"You've done nothing for me. You never come to Blackbriar. You never heed my calls so why should I trust you?"

"See that's your problem, Emma. You apply all of your shortcomings to everybody else. If history's any indication, there's only one liar among us." Stefan pushed the journal toward Emma. Damon's phone, lying on the table, then rang. She answered it.

"Damon's phone. How may I help you?"

"Where is he?" Elena asked.

"He's on his way to you. Forgot his phone."

"Oh, thank God. This compass was spinning. Damon must be here. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Emma hung up and left to get changed. A few minutes later, Emma received another call and she and Stefan rushed to the Gilbert home.

"How did he get in?" Stefan asked when he entered the Gilbert residence.

"He was invited in," said Elena.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night," Damon replied.

"Well, he gets points for that," said Emma from the doorway. "Does anyone mind?"

"Oh, sorry. Come in," Elena replied.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Emma asked, crossing the threshold.

"No. He was too busy trying to kill me."

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan asked.

"No. Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company," Damon responded.

"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked, nervous.

"We don't know," Damon admitted.

"Damon, he was invited in," said Emma.

"Then we go get him tonight."

"You up for it?"

"What do I have to do?" Elena asked.

"Let your boyfriend take you to the dance. We'll see who shows up."

"That's a bad idea," Stefan countered.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot."

"I'll do it. I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe."

Later that evening, the students of Mystic Falls were dressed in their best '50s getups and dancing to This Magic Moment. Caroline and Bonnie were dancing together on the floor while Damon and Elena, arms linked, walked into the dance, Stefan and Emma on both sides of them respectively. They looked around the room for any sign of danger. Alaric spotted Emma from the other side of the room and the smile on his face faded as he recognized the woman.

"I'm going to spike the punch," Emma grinned before walking away. As the evening passed, Elena approached her friends.

"Having fun?" Elena asked.

"No, but this took about two hours so I'm at least staying half of that," said Caroline. They laughed.

"What's Damon doing here?" Bonnie asked, noticing Damon speaking with Emma. "And who's that woman he's with?"

"Um, that's Emma. She's Damon and Stefan's aunt," Elena replied, remembering the cover story Emma had told her. "And Damon's with me. He's my date."

"WHAT!" Bonnie and Caroline yelled.

"We're together now."

"Are you crazy!" Caroline replied. "Don't you remember what he did to me!"

"He's changed."

"Elena."

"Listen, he's my boyfriend. I chose him. You don't have to agree with it, but you can at least respect me enough to make my own choices." Elena then walked away. She met up with Damon on the dance floor.

"What's with the pouty face?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Caroline and Bonnie."

"Friends. Who needs 'em?"

"Emma and you are friends."

"Hmm. When it suits my purposes." Elena giggled.

"You're so bad."

"You love it."

"I do." Elena sighed. "Shouldn't you guys be able to sense each other or something?"

"Doesn't work that way. This isn't Twilight. See him anywhere?"

"Not unless he has a pompadour."

"Wow. Not one of the better fashion trends."

"Come on. I'm sure you looked great back then. Are there pictures?"

"No. Burned. Buried." Damon didn't want to get into his Augustine years so he twirled her and she laughed.

Meanwhile, Emma was standing to the side of the dance floor. She watched in amusement as Damon and Elena enjoyed themselves and Stefan sulked. This was better than a soap opera. True love. It was a wonderful sight. Alaric Saltzman then approached Emma.

"I don't recognize you. How'd you get roped into chaperoning?" Alaric asked as Emma blankly stared at him. "Alaric Saltzman. I'm the new history teacher."

"Ah. I hear that position's cursed."

"So I've been told."

"Emma. Black. I'm with the Salvatores."

"Salvatore, as in, uh, Stefan?"

"He and Damon are my nephews. I'm Stefan's legal guardian, hence the chaperoning."

"I haven't met Damon but I hear Stefan's very bright, not that I've had a chance to see for myself."

"Well, his attendance record's a little spotty. Family drama."

"No parents?"

"It's just us now."

"You, uh—you live here your whole life?"

"On and off. Travel a bit."

"Really? Where? Around the States?" Emma looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Heh. I'm sorry. I'm nosy. I…I don't mean to pry. Look, it was nice meeting you."

"You, too," said Emma, suspicious.

"Enjoy the rest of the dance."

In the corridor of the high school, Anna, a new girl Jeremy had met recently, confronted the man who had been tormenting Elena.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Trying to get the journal, as in sticking to the plan, something you're not doing. Leave the girl alone."

"I like her."

"She's with the Salvatore's."

"I want to play with her."

"Don't be stupid. Emma Black is with them. You don't mess with her. She's one scary bitch."

"She doesn't scare me. She never has."

"Please, Noah. Don't do this. You're gonna ruin everything."

"You've got nothing to worry about. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You will get what you came for. Just let me have my fun."

A few minutes later, Noah made his move, distracting Damon with a boy he compelled. As Elena looked for Stefan and Emma, her phone rang.

"Hello, Elena," said Noah, once his prey answered her phone. "Here's what you're going to do. There's an exit door behind you. You have five seconds."

"No."

"Or your brother dies. I can snap his neck so fast I bet there's not even a witness. Now start walking."

"Don't you dare touch him."

"Keep walking. Through the door." Elena ran out of the room and into the hallway. She tried to push open a door but it was locked so she ran into the cafeteria. Elena tried the doors in there but they were locked too. Noah appeared behind her. She ran, but he grabbed her by the hair and threw her against a table. Grabbing some pencils, Elena stabbed him, throwing him off her. She found a mop and broke it in half to make a stake. However, she was too slow when she tried to stake him. He tossed the makeshift stake aside and when he went to bite her, Damon threw the vampire off his girlfriend.

"Hey, dickhead," said Emma from across the room, a stake in his hand. "Don't run. Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk." Noah tried to run but Emma threw her stake to Damon and he plunged the wood into Noah's stomach.

"She said don't run."

"Screw you." Damon drove the stake deeper.

"Wrong answer. Why are you doing this?"

"Cause it's fun."

"What do you want with Elena?" Stefan asked.

"She looks like Katherine."

"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked.

"Oh. You thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me."

"Tell me how to get in the tomb," Emma demanded, approaching the young vampire.

"No." Emma grabbed the stake and drove it in deeper.

"I'm sorry. I must have misheard you. You know the rules. No one tells Emma Black, the master of Blackbriar, no. Now let's try this again."

"The grimoire."

"Where is it?" Silence. Emma drove the stake in deeper and Noah gasped.

"Check the journal. The journal. Jonathan's journal. Jonathan Gilbert's."

"And?" Emma asked.

"My apologies…master. I didn't know she was with you."

"Much better."

"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked, rolling his eyes at Emma's antics.

"Who else is there?" Damon pressed.

"No. You're gonna have to kill me." Damon looked at Emma and she removed the stake and drove it through Noah's heart. He crumpled to the ground, ashen and dead.

"Such a waste," Emma muttered.

"What do we—how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena asked.

"He had to die," said Damon.

"But…"

"Elena, he's been invited in," Stefan explained as Emma heard footsteps approaching. "Go. Damon and I've got this."

"Play nice, you two."

Alaric quickly walked down the hallway, having witnessed Emma killing the vampire. She appeared in front of him.

"Hey."

"What were you doing?" Emma asked.

"Looking for Ms. Hilden."

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?" asked Emma, compelling the man.

"I got a job as a teacher."

"Do you know what I am?"

"You're my student's aunt."

"Is everything you're telling me the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then forget we had this conversation." When Emma left, Alaric opened his hand to reveal a sprig of vervain. Emma's compulsion hadn't worked. When Emma arrived back at the cafeteria, she saw Stefan leaning against the doorway. Noah's body was gone and so was Elena.

"Damon's taking care of the body." Emma nodded.

"There's no way that idiot was alone."

"So the grimoire...that was Emily's, right? That's what you need to reverse the spell. When the founding families burned Katherine, they took her things, and you were hoping that my father's journal would tell you where it is."

"Look at you putting the pieces together. Good for you. I was half-right. Well, it's out there now. Let the games begin."

"My offer still stands."

"Yeah, with some hidden caveats, no doubt."

"No. Nothing hidden about it. No lies. No deception. I'm there when you open up that tomb, you get Dante out, and the other twenty-six vampires die."

"If I agree?"

"I'll help you."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because Damon's not on your side." Emma looked at Stefan curiously. "He doesn't want the tomb opened…for Elena's safety."

"You really think I'm going to fall for that?" Emma asked as in the hallway Damon eavesdropped on the conversation.

"He thinks you're lying. Said something about knowing Dante was already dead."

"Hmm. My boy's cleverer than I thought. He snuck up on me while my guard was down."

"So it's true."

"Yes. I killed the little bastard in the 50s."

"So you want in the tomb to retrieve your coven."

"No. I want my son back."

"Derek? Derek's in the tomb?" Damon immediately left the school before being discovered.

"Yes. Katerina put him there in the 20s. You still haven't given me a reason why I should trust you."

"Because I want you gone. And as proof of my trust, I won't tell Damon about Derek."

"Hmm. Okay," Emma agreed. "Looks like you and I are partners."

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Elena was sitting on the couch while Damon poured her a drink.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Is it weird if I say yes?"

"Is it true?"

"I should feel more upset or scared or something, but I... feel kind of exhilarated."

"It's the adrenaline. You'll crash soon enough."

"Yeah, I guess. It felt good. I fought back tonight."

"Yes, you did. And may I say how sexy it was." Elena giggled as he kissed her. "I need to tell you something and I don't know how you're gonna feel about it."

"What?"

"I eavesdropped. Emma lied."

"What about?"

"Dante's dead."

"What?"

"I knew when she told us about him that she was lying. I should have told you, I know, but I just wanted to get some more information before I said anything."

"Then who is in the tomb that she wants out?"

"Everyone, but more importantly, her son."

"Her son?"

"Yes. When Emma was turned, she came back and turned her son, Derek. He's not Dante's son. He's from a prior marriage. But that's all beside the point. I told Emma that I'd help her get into that tomb. It was a lie. I let her believe that she could trust me."

"Then why would you be worried about telling me?"

"She can be very…persuasive and I've seen how you two have bonded."

"That doesn't mean I trust her. I just met her."

"I don't want to be her enemy. When I was in a really dark place, she saved me, just like you have. I have something worth protecting now. Inside Emma is a dark hatred for Mystic Falls. Once she lets the coven out, she'll paint the town red. If there was a cat fight between Katherine and Emma, Emma would win, no contest. She's dangerous and she's not to be crossed, but I can't let her do this."

"Then don't. And I'll help you. Whatever it takes."


	3. The Rapture

The hazy curtain of sleep began to pull away as Elena felt lips run against her shoulders and neck. She arched her back, melting into Damon's kisses.

"Good morning," she whispered, waking up in Damon's bed.

"Morning. I could get used to this."

"Rise and shine, sleepyheads," they heard Emma say from the doorway. Stefan had joined her…by force of course. She had a firm grip on Stefan's neck. She just loved torturing the man.

"Emma! Stefan!" Elena shouted, covering herself up with the sheet.

"What are you doing?" Damon yelled. "Get out!"

"If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it," said Emma.

"What do you want?" Damon groaned.

"We have some very important business to discuss."

"And it has to be right now?" Elena asked.

"Oh, we have lots to do, now that we're all friends and working toward a common goal. So, in order to open the tomb, we need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spell. First things first. Since you are Elena Gilbert, you're on journal duty."

"Since when am I helping?"

"Well, Damon's helping, and you've taken up residence in Damon's bed, ergo..."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," said Stefan. Emma rolled her eyes at the younger Salvatore. Still in love with a girl he could never have.

"I'll look for it today."

"Good," Emma smiled.

"How do we know that this journal will hold the location of the grimoire? We're really going to take the word of this vampire who seemed like a bit of a dimwit," Damon replied.

"In lieu of any other options…"

"Okay, what exactly is a grimoire, anyway?" Elena asked.

"It's a witch's cookbook," Damon replied.

"Every spell that a witch casts is unique unto itself, so every witch would document their work," Emma further elaborated.

"Yeah. Cookbook. What about our mystery vampire? Dimwit obviously wasn't working alone, so whoever is out there knows who we are."

"And I don't like that disadvantage, so...chop, chop. You know, I really like this whole team thing. It's got a bit of a kink to it. Don't screw it up," Emma sang, leaving with Stefan. After a second, Elena looked at Damon.

"She doesn't…" Damon put a finger to her lips and pointed to his ear. "Oh, right." Damon's hand encircled her waist and moved up her stomach. Elena let out a lusty sigh. "Damon…they'll hear."

"Not if we're really quiet," he whispered, cupping her breast as his other hand moved down her stomach. He pulled her onto his lap and her breathing grew quicker as he slipped a finger inside her. Her legs fell completely open, giving him better access, and he sucked at the sweet spot on her neck. She arched her back and moaned softly at the ministrations.

"Bite me," she whispered, taking Damon by surprise.

"You sure?" he asked huskily.

"Please. Ah, Damon." His hot breath pulsed against her skin and he bit down. She moaned in ecstasy. "Yes. Yes!" Damon groaned at the taste of her blood. It was fantastic. As the high overcame both of them, they separated from each other and plopped on the bed. Damon licked Elena's wound, sealing it with his saliva.

"So much for being quiet," Damon chuckled. Elena returned the laugh. Damon crawled on top of her. "I love you."

"I love you too." They hungrily kissed each other and Elena pulled the sheets over them.

Later that morning, the two lovers finally rose from bed and Elena combed through boxes of old family memories at her house. Damon sat at the breakfast bar, watching her.

"Stop that," Elena said.

"What? I'm just watching you."

"It's creepy."

"I'm just admiring your stunning beauty." Elena blushed.

"Do you think Emma believes us? That we're both trying to help?"

"I don't know what Emma thinks. She's kind of hard to read."

"It's kind of sad really. Everything she's doing is for love."

"If I know, Emma, which I do, she's not doing this for love. She's doing it for revenge. She's a very vengeful vampire. She doesn't have any regard for human life. She likes torturing others. It's why she's called the Blood Queen. Wherever she goes, a trail of blood follows. There's not a vampire alive that's not intimidated by her."

"Then why did you join her coven?"

"In vampire society, it's best to be on the winning side."

"What do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and she gets Derek back?"

"Like I said, wherever she goes, a trail of blood follows." Elena exhaled loudly and picked up a photo from a box. Damon got up and looked at the picture. "That's Jonathan Gilbert."

"What's this?" She opened up a wooden box. What appeared to be a muzzle was contained in it. Damon recognized it, but didn't explain it as Jeremy entered the room shortly after.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

"Hey. Just going through some stuff, feeling sentimental. Dad had this old family journal from years ago. I thought I'd dig it up," said Elena.

"Jonathan Gilbert's journal?"

"Yeah, what do you know about it?"

"I just did a history report on it."

"Oh. So where is it now?"

"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it." Elena and Damon exchanged a look. Damon paid a visit to the local high school and when he walked in on Alaric, the human pulled a blow dart gun on him and attempted to shoot him with a stake. Without effort, Damon grabbed the stake and stared at Alaric.

"Really?" he asked mockingly. Alaric began to reload another stake into the gun as Damon watched him. Alaric looked down and cocked the gun, moving toward the doorway as he did so. Damon vamp-sped around him, blocking his way. Alaric looked up at him and Damon grabbed him by the shirt. "You shouldn't have done that. You just ruined my good sex buzz." Damon pushed Alaric into the desk and took the gun from him. "Sit down." Alaric hesitated, but Damon pointed at a chair, insisting that the human did as he was told. Alaric sat down in a desk and Damon examined the gun. "What is this? Compressed air? You make it yourself?" No response. "Who are you?" Damon moved closer to Alaric, who flinched. "Against my better judgment, I'm not going to hurt you…unless you try something like this again." Damon handed the gun to Alaric and he took it. "Now…who are you?"

"I'm a teacher."

"And I'm the tooth fairy. Are we gonna have to do this the hard way? I admit it's fun for me, not so much for you. It entails a lot of blood."

"I'm also a historian. And while researching Virginia, I made a few discoveries about your town."

"So you show up like Van Helsing? Come on. The truth now or snap, snap."

"My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here."

"Where's your wife?"

"Dead. A vampire killed her."

"Where's the Gilbert journal?"

"What do you want with it?"

"Where is it?"

"It's on my desk."

"Uh, no, it's not." Alaric looked over at his desk and saw it was missing.

"It was on my desk."

"How long have you been aware of me?"

"I learned just recently about you and your brother. What about your aunt?"

"You met Emma."

"Who do you think killed my wife?"

"You're certain it was Emma?"

"I witnessed it."

"Man, if you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you."

"I just want to find out what happened to my wife."

"I thought you just said that Emma..."

"Yeah. I saw her draining the life out of her. She must have heard me coming. She just...disappeared. So did her body. They never found her."

"Emma can never know why you're here. She'll kill you without blinking."

"I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't," Damon laughed. "I can help you, but only if you help me."

At the Gilbert House, Emma and Stefan were cooking dinner when Elena entered the room.

"Is Damon with you?" Stefan asked.

"He'll be here soon."

"Is it real?" Emma asked the nagging question that had been bothering her all day.

"Is what real?" Elena asked.

"This renewed sense of covenhood. Can I trust Damon? Is he going to betray me?" Stefan looked at Emma curiously. What was she doing?

"No. You can trust him."

"Can I trust him?" said Emma, appearing in front of her and looking into her eyes.

"I'm wearing vervain, Emma. It's not going to work."

"I'm not compelling you. I just want you to answer me. Honestly."

"Of course you can. He loves you."

"There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone."

"Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it."

"Are you lecturing me?"

"Do you need to be lectured?"

"I just want to save my husband. I'm sure you can understand that."

"I can understand that you would do anything for him, yes."

"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way." The doorbell rang.

"That's Damon." Emma walked to the front door and opened it. The three of them walked outside to talk to the elder Salvatore.

"Who took it?" Emma hissed.

"I don't know."

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him."

"No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me."

"Who else knew it was there?" Stefan looked through the window at Jeremy, but didn't say anything. Emma looked at Jeremy and walked back into the house.

"No. Emma, leave him out of it," Elena hissed.

"What? What's the big deal?"

"Emma!"

"So, Jeremy, I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?"

"Huh?"

"Don't ask questions, just spill."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" Elena asked.

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?"

"Who else did you tell?"

"Just that girl Anna."

"The hot, weird one you told me about?" Emma asked.

"Yeah."

"Wait, who is Anna?" Damon asked.

"I have a hunch," Emma smirked before leaving with Stefan.

"Where are they going?" Elena asked.

"I'm presuming to track down this Anna person."

"Aren't you going to go with him? If she gets to the journal before we do, then..."

"Doesn't matter," Damon smirked, pulling out a stack of papers.

"What is that?"

"It's a copy of it."

"How did you get it?"

"Well, Mr. Saltzman made a copy and was kind enough to loan it to me."

"He did?" Elena asked, unconvinced.

"Not exactly, but I got it." Elena chucked and kissed him. The two of them looked through the pages in her room.

"Here's a reference that he wrote about Emily. 'The Fell family believed it should be I, not them, who protected the witch's spell book. But I feared she would haunt me from the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who…' Is that your father?"

"Yeah. May the bastard rot in hell." Damon took the page. "'It was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear. He told me he would protect the secret of the spell book. He said he would carry it to his grave.' I know where it is." They left for an old cemetery in the middle of the woods. Elena shone a flashlight on Giuseppe's tombstone.

"Why isn't your father buried in your family's tomb?" she asked.

"It wasn't built until well after he died."

"Are you sure the grimoire's in there with him?"

"Oh yeah."

"Great."

"I can do this on my own."

"And I said I would do whatever I can to help."

"I know, but…"

"This town is my home, Damon. My friends and family are here. You're here. I don't want that tomb opened any more than you do. I'm sorry you have to do this."

"Don't be. I hated the bastard."

"What'd he do to you?"

"Oh, only the old favor the youngest sibling over the elder. Nothing I could do was ever good enough for my old man."

Meanwhile at a hotel across town, Anna walked into her room when Emma caught her by the neck, but she grabbed her throat as well, having sensed Emma following her.

"Okay. I give," she coughed as they both let go of each other's necks. "You've built up some strength, Anna. I'm mildly impressed."

"I was wondering how long it would take you two to find me." Stefan then emerged from the shadows.

"How long have you been here?" Stefan asked.

"I arrived around half-past comet, watching Damon Salvatore screw up every chance he had to open that tomb."

"And yet you still haven't accomplished the mission I gave to you," Emma replied. Stefan looked at the two curiously. "Stefan, I'd like you to meet Anna the sole Blackbriar survivor of the 1864 round-up. You've failed me, Anna. The tomb is still not open."

"I'm trying to be careful. This place is full of hunters. I'm using others to do my dirty work."

"Like Logan Fell?"

"Thanks for that. Little bastard shot my brother," Stefan snapped.

"Logan was an idiot. We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal. I couldn't let him die."

"What do you want with the Fell journal?" Emma asked.

"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong. According to her journal, Honoria gave the grimoire to Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this..." She held up the Gilbert journal. "He gave it to Giuseppe. So now you're going to help me stop Damon."

"Damon?"

"I saw him heading toward the graveyard to get the grimoire."

"Let's go," said Stefan. Emma turned around and snapped the man's neck.

"What did you do?" Anna asked.

"He'll only be a hindrance. He's served his purpose. I don't work with those who fail me, Anna. Get lost or I'll put you in the ground." Emma left knowing exactly where Giuseppe had hidden Emily's grimoire, his grave.

At the cemetery, Elena stood beside a deep hole. She smiled and shook her head.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Not many girls can say they've done this."

"Well, I do know how to show a lady a good time," Damon chuckled. His shovel hit something solid. He scrapped the dirt off the coffin and opened the lid.

"Is that it?" Damon retrieved the grimoire which was cradled in his father's arms. He shut the lid and jumped out of the hole with it. Damon carefully turned the pages, looking for the spell.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Emma asked, approaching Elena and Damon. "This is an interesting turn of events. Though I can't say I'm surprised. It seems Stefan was correct."

"I can't let you bring Derek back," said Damon.

"You know."

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"So am I," Emma replied, a tear running down her face, before she snarled out, "For thinking for even a second that I could trust you."

"You're not capable of trust, Emma. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself," Damon snapped.

"Of course I was going to do it by myself! Because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Damon. But you..." She looked at Elena. "You had me fooled. Just remember. It didn't have to be this way."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out."

"You won't kill her."

"No. I won't. I can do one better." Emma vamp-sped over to Elena and grabbed her in a chokehold. She bit her wrist and force fed Elena her blood. "Give me the book, Damon, or I'm snapping her neck and you will have a vampire girlfriend."

"Let her go first," said Damon, shocked at the measures Emma had resorted to.

"The book!" Emma yelled.

"I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me."

"Problem is I no longer trust that you'll give it back!" Emma responded.

"You just did the one thing that ensures I will." Damon dropped the book and Emma let Elena go. She jumped toward Damon and they both left together.

At the Gilbert house, Elena was resting on her bed.

"Is my head supposed to hurt this much?" Elena asked.

"It was just a little bit of blood. It'll be out of your system in a day."

"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"What did Emma mean? That you lost her trust?"

"It was the early 20s. I was still with Blackbriar, learning control. Derek was an annoying little shit, but he's still family. Emma is nothing but an overprotective mother. She would take things to the extreme. Derek would act out in return. He didn't come home before curfew one night so she locked him up and didn't give him blood for a week."

"Seriously?" Damon nodded.

"It was bad. The kid was starving, half-desiccated. I told Emma he needed to feed, but she wouldn't listen. Stubborn woman. Emma went out for the night and put him in my care. She told me not to let him feed under any circumstances, but…it was awful. He would cry out in pain as his arteries rubbed together like sandpaper. It was excruciating. He was just a kid. I couldn't let it go on like this. I let him out. He ran away to a party and slaughtered all the humans. And he never came back to Blackbriar. Needless to say, Emma was furious. She never forgave me. Cast me out. Told me to only come back when I found Derek. We met again a few decades later. She said she forgave me, asked me how things were going with opening the tomb. She welcomed me back. I should have known better. Emma Black doesn't forgive anyone. She's been using me this entire time, just like Katherine did."

"It's not your fault," said Elena. "You saved that boy from pain."

"Not really. I saved him from a week of desiccation, only for him to go through decades of it in the tomb. I'm going to get you something for that headache." He kissed her forehead and left the room for the kitchen.

"Hey, Damon. Where'd she go?" Jeremy asked.

"Where'd who go?" Damon asked, confused.

"Jeremy has a friend over," Jenna clarified from the living room.

"Anna," Jeremy clarified. Damon put all the pieces together. 1864. Emma's hunch. Anna. Blackbriar. He ran over to the staircase and when he was out of Jeremy and Jenna's sight, he vamp-sped the rest of the way to Elena's room.

"Elena!" She was gone. "Shit."


	4. Driveway

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Emma was familiarizing herself with Emily's grimoire when Damon entered the room.

"Anna took Elena," he said.

"Yeah, I got that from your six hundred voicemails."

"Emma, I have looked everywhere. All night long, every single street in town. What if your blood hasn't passed out of her system?"

"Well at least you know you'll see her again," said Emma, rotating her shoulder.

"What do you know? Emma, you were with Anna. You know where she's living. Just tell me where she is."

"Nope. You can go. Really."

"It's Elena. Please," he grit out.

"Wow. That looked really painful for you," she replied as Damon's phone rang.

"Elena? Are you okay?"

"She's fine. For now," Anna answered. "Tell me you have the grimoire and she'll stay fine."

"I can get it."

"Which means Emma has it. And I have the witch. So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in thirty minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's gonna be to work together." She hung up and Emma looked at Damon.

"Go ahead. Grovel again. Oh, wait no. I don't care." Emma then left the room. Thirty minutes later at the Mystic Falls' town square, Anna was walking to meet with Damon. Jeremy saw Anna and walked over to her.

"Anna! Hey. What happened to you last night?"

"Sorry, I had to leave. I gotta run."

"Do you wanna go to the Duke party tonight?"

"Go to what?"

"Oh, the guy who's throwing it is a total douche but it's supposed to be fun. I figured safety in numbers."

"So you're finally ready to go out with me, are you?"

"It's been a while since I've been to a party and I kind of want to get back out there. Not be such a loner. And, uh, I like you. You're fun and you're also kind of strange and lurky but, uh, I guess I like that too. So, yeah, you should come to the party. With me. It's in the woods by that old cemetery."

"Oh. It's there, huh? That sounds cool. I'll meet you."

"Oh, okay. Great. Cool," said Jeremy walking off as Anna walked toward a bench. When she sat down, Emma appeared beside her.

"Got a hot date or are you just planning on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" she asked.

"Party. Right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires. You're minus a witch and I'm minus a spell book. So what do you say?"

"Aren't you forgetting? I can break the spell myself."

"Come on, Emma. We both know Emily's spell is strong. You're going to need more than just your power alone."

"Damon will come after you, you know? For messing with his girlfriend. He's the vengeful type."

"Then he won't be too happy if I kill her when I don't get what I want," said Anna, getting up to leave.

"Wait! When do you want to do this?"

"Tonight. At sundown. Meet at the church." Anna left and then Emma texted him the address of Anna's location. The coven master of Blackbriar wasn't one to compromise her own position. However, Damon was already on his way as Stefan had groggily made his way back from the hotel. After getting the location from Stefan, Damon, angrily, made his way to the hotel and snapped Ben's neck before getting Elena and Bonnie out of there.

Later at the Boarding House, Emma was preparing to leave when Elena walked in.

"Looks like someone staged a jailbreak," Emma smirked.

"Damon."

"Ah. That Salvatore, ever the dark knight."

"Anna told me you'd need more power for the spell. I convinced Bonnie and her Grams to help you."

"I doubt that."

"I'm not gonna say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night because I'm not."

"Well, at least you're honest."

"I was protecting the people I love, Emma. But so were you. In your own twisted way. And as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side, after the same thing."

"Not interested."

"Yes you are, because you were willing to work with us yesterday."

"Fool me once, shame on you."

"Listen, I'm promising you this now, I will help you open the tomb."

"I wish I could believe you."

"Ask me if I'm lying now," said Elena as she took her necklace off and placed it on a table.

"Anna won't stop. No matter what I do."

"Then we'll deal with it."

"Unlike young vampires, Elena, I avoid compulsion when possible. It disgusts me. It's beneath me." She placed Elena's necklace back around her neck. "I will trust you this time. Do not make me regret it."

When night fell, Emma and Elena arrived at the woods by the Duke party.

"The Duke party. I forgot. I hope they stay clear of the church," said Elena.

"Your hope, not mine," Emma replied as they arrived at the tomb site where Damon, Stefan, Anna, Bonnie, and her Grams were waiting. "Anna. Salvatores. Witches."

"Everything okay?" Damon asked.

"I just want to get this over with. Are we ready?" Elena asked.

"Yes," Bonnie answered as they walked into the tomb.

"Air. Earth. Fire. Water," said Grams as she lit four torches in the center of the chamber and poured water on the floor.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Anna asked.

"As opposed to what?" Emma snapped.

"I just figured maybe it'd have to be blessed or mystical or something." Grams smirked at her as Emma pulled a blood bag out of her purse.

"What's that?" Stefan asked.

"It's for Derek. Gotta have something to get him going. Unless your girl's offering up a vein to tap," said Emma. She then joined the witches in reciting the spell.

"What are they saying?" Anna asked.

"Sounds Latin," Elena replied.

"It's not Latin," said Stefan as the fire from the torches grew more intense. Suddenly, Grams, Emma, and Bonnie stopped chanting and the ancient tomb door opened.

"It worked," said Bonnie.

"Of course it worked."

"We'll get the gasoline. I'll be right back," said Stefan, leaving with Damon.

"We'll hold it until you return," said Grams to Emma.

"You ready?" Emma asked Elena.

"What?"

"I wasn't born yesterday. You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" Emma asked, grabbing Elena.

"Don't take her in," Grams threatened. "I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down even if I don't. You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you."

"Enough. Both of you. Look, she needs leverage. She needs to know you're not going to shut the door when she gets inside. I get it. I'll go," said Elena as Emma grabbed a torch. They both entered the tomb and began the search for Derek, hearing whispers throughout the creepy structure. "What is that?"

"They can sense you. Now where is he?"

Meanwhile, outside the door, Damon and Stefan walked down the stairs, only seeing Bonnie and Grams.

"Where's Elena?" Damon asked.

"Emma took her inside," Bonnie answered.

"What?" Damon ran toward the entrance of the tomb, but Grams grabbed him by the arm.

"If you go in there, you won't come out."

"What did you do?" Stefan asked.

"Opening the door didn't remove the seal. It just opened the door."

"What's the seal?" Damon asked.

"Some seals keep vampires from entering. This one keeps them from coming out."

"Elena's human. She can leave. And Derek can't. Emma can't. You were never planning on breaking the spell, were you?"

"I told you. I will protect my own. Elena can get out. That's all that matters." Suddenly, Elena screamed and Damon ran into the tomb to save her from a vampire that had attacked her. As Elena and Damon tried to escape, Damon stopped at the entrance of the tomb. He couldn't get out.

"Damon, what are you doing?"

"It's gonna be okay, Elena. We'll fix it," said Bonnie.

"What is it?"

"I can't," said Damon.

"Can't? Can't what?"

"The spell's still up. We can't get them out yet," Stefan explained.

"You went in there not knowing if you could come back out? Oh my God."

"I heard you scream."

"We can't leave her in there. We promised her. Both of us."

"I know."

"Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long," said Grams as Damon went back into the tomb to find Emma, hearing her scream. He ran to the back of the tomb and saw her cradling a body.

"No, no, no," she wept. Damon saw the body was Derek's and his heart was missing, shriveled up across the room. "My Derek. He's dead."

"Come on."

"NO! YOU KILLED HIM!"

"We have to go."

"NO!"

"Stubborn woman." Damon snapped her neck and carried both her and Derek's body out of the tomb. A few minutes later, Emma woke up to see Damon sitting beside her in the tomb. Everyone else was gone even Derek's body.

"My little boy."

"Stefan took him. To give him a proper burial on our land. You can visit him tomorrow." Emma nodded and walked away. Later, they arrived at the Boarding House and Elena called Damon.

"I just got to Bonnie's," she said.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah. How's Emma? She gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. I'll stop by later."

"Yeah." Damon walked into the parlor and sat down next to Emma who was staring blankly at the fire. He drew a blanket over her and she collapsed into him, sobbing.

The following morning, as a man was jogging near the forest that led to Fell's Church, he ran into a vampire who had escaped from the tomb.

"Jeez! You scared me," said the human.

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Saturday."

"And what year?"

"It's 2010. Are you okay? What's your name?"

"It's Harper, sir."

"How did you get out here? And why are you dressed like that?" asked the man, taking in Harper's 1800s circa clothing.

"You seem like a very nice person. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Harper suddenly attacked the man, draining him dry, and took the stranger's clothes. He then walked away into the day, looking for his vampire brethren.


	5. Elephant

"So let me get this straight. Alaric's wife might be your mother?" Damon asked as Elena poured some coffee into a cup.

"It can't be true, right? I mean the coincidence alone is just crazy. I have this address of her friend, Trudie." Elena held up a post-it.

"You going to go talk to her?"

"I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother's dead, and I don't know if I can handle that."

"Did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?"

"Just that she was killed and the case was never solved. You knew that already?"

"When I was at the school one night, Mister History Nerd attacked me. He told me some things about her death."

"And?"

"No, no. It's not possible. The coincidence is – it's too much. Now, listen, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you. Okay?"

"I just don't know what I am going to do yet."

"Well, just remember. Isobel left you. As far as I'm concerned, she sucks." Elena smiled. "I should get going. I've gotta go deal with Emma."

"How's she doing?"

"She's dealing in her own way."

When Damon arrived at the Boarding House, he saw Emma feeding on a sorority girl in the living room.

"How do I taste?" the girl asked.

"Oh, so much better than our friends, love. But shh. Don't tell them. They might get jealous," said Emma before Damon turned the lights on. Emma cringed. "Oh. Buzzkill Bob."

"I am so glad Stefan is not here right now," Damon groaned. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah."

"Without the Tri-Delts."

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. They're really good at keeping secrets." Damon got his way though and they moved into a private corner while Emma's meals lounged on the sofa. Emma drank out of a bottle of bourbon.

"You're worried about me. That's sweet. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I spent the last century with one goal: get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, my son was dead, but why dwell? You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan, because I can do whatever the hell I want."

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of."

"Relax. I haven't killed anyone in…too long."

"Comforting," Damon growled. "Those girls?"

"Will end up in their dorm with headaches, think they blacked out. Business as usual. But you, my friend, didn't pull me over here for a pep talk. So drink up." She pushed the bottle into Damon's chest. "Spill. What do you want?"

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke."

"You wanna discuss eight hundred years of my blood-fueled dalliances with humans? Seriously?"

"You killed her."

"Your point?"

"I just wanna know if you remember anything about her."

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Damon. After you reach the five hundred mark, nights spent in the sheets begin to blur together."

"Well, think hard. It's important."

"Nothing is important, not anymore. Great chat. Now I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief which I'm sure you understand. TTFN said the Tri-Delt. Ladies, let's take this to my bed." Damon sighed.

Later, Damon went into town and spoke with Alaric at the town square where Stefan watched them with interest.

"Thanks for meeting me. Something's come up," said Alaric.

"Jenna told you."

"Yeah. What does Elena know?"

"About your wife?"

"About everything. About you, your brother, Emma."

"She knows what I am and she knows that you know about the vampires."

"Does she know about Emma and Isobel?"

"No. I couldn't tell her. Not until I was sure."

"You said you'd help me."

"I asked Emma without saying too much. She doesn't remember."

"Ask her again."

"Do not push this."

"Give me a reason not to."

"Your survival. How's that for a reason? I'll handle it, but for now, I need you to let it go."

"Is that what you'll tell Elena? Let it go?" Damon looked around his surroundings and found no one around. He grabbed Alaric by the neck.

"Considering you're a human, I have been very patient. You leave Elena out of this or I will patient will suddenly run out. I'll kill you and I'll have fun doing it." Damon then released the man.

"I need to know what happened. I think you would too."

"I need something more than just your wife's name. A picture. Something I could show Emma." Alaric removed a photo of Isobel from his wallet and handed it to Damon before leaving.

"Looks like we've gotten ourselves into a quite a predicament," said Stefan, looking at the picture over Damon's shoulder.

"We?" Damon asked.

"We are brothers after all." Stefan gave Damon his hand to shake and Damon accepted it, wondering if this was going to bite him in the ass.

At the Mystic Grill, Emma walked up to the bar and sat next to Alaric.

"Bourbon," she ordered to the bartender. "Behold the teacher. Don't you have some papers to grade?"

"It's, uh, more fun with a buzz."

"Well, most things in life are. Sober's depressing."

"You don't strike me as somebody who gets depressed."

"You say that like you know me."

"Nope. Just a hunch." They exchanged long looks. Alaric finished his drink. "You have a good afternoon."

"Not likely." He left and Sheriff Forbes joined Emma.

"Emma Black. Damon's told me a lot about you," she said.

"And you must be the Sherriff."

"Daytime drinking, huh?"

"It's all the rage."

"I need a favor and Damon told me you were the lady to go to for favors."

"Have you ever lost someone?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Have you ever been so bent on something just to have your heart destroyed."

"I was married and my husband left me because he's gay."

"She'll have what I'm having," Emma told the bartender. "Sit down."

"Listen, Emma, there's a fundraiser here tonight that the Founder's Council is throwing. The town's most eligible bachelors get raffled off for dates and, well, we need someone to emcee."

"Is this what you do when there's no, um…vampires?" she whispered. "Organize bachelor raffles?"

"Oh, trust me. At this point, I miss the vampires."

"I'll do it. Sounds tasty."

"Thank you."

"One thing. Can you get information on someone for me? Alaric Saltzman, the history teacher. There's something a little off about him and I just wanna make sure that the high school did their homework on this guy."

"You got it."

"Thanks."

Later at the Boarding House, Elena entered Emma's room.

"Hey, Emma. Wow. You look…" Elena saw that Emma was putting on a dress, but looked very disheveled.

"Gorgeous? Stunning? Irresistible?"

"Wrecked. You look wrecked."

"No reason why. Do you know that I am emceeing Mystic Falls' Bachelor Raffle?"

"Huh."

"Yep."

"How are you doing?"

"Never better. What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favors today. It's my newfound purpose. How can I help people?"

"I'm just meeting Damon. We're going to the fundraiser." Emma struggled to zip her dress, but was too drunk to do so.

"Help a girl out, will you?" Elena sighed and began to zip up the back of the dress. Damon then walked in.

"Damon. There you are." Emma then grabbed a blazer, put it on effortlessly, and left the room, winking at Elena. "She's fine?"

"She's…Emma."

"Maybe this heartache will be good for her. It'll remind her that she has one, even if it doesn't beat."

"Easy. I wouldn't hold my breath." Elena smiled and laughed.

"So I went to see Trudie Peterson." Damon's face turned stony. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it."

"How was it?"

"She has vervain. She knows about vampire stuff, and it can't be a coincidence."

"It isn't. This is Alaric's wife." Damon took out a picture of Isobel that Alaric gave him and handed it to Elena.

"This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?"

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one."

"Oh, my god."

"Listen, Elena, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you to hold off a little while before you talk to him."

"Why?"

"I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but I need you to trust me. Give me some time. Will you do that for me?"

"I trust you." Elena nodded and kissed him. A few minutes later, Damon walked downstairs where Emma was getting her purse.

"Where'd your girlfriend go?"

"She's on her way to the Grill. I, uh, wanted to talk to you," said Damon as he showed Emma a picture of Isobel. "This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I do."

"Who else wants to know?" Emma asked, a brow quirked.

"Did you kill her?"

"Sorry. Don't know her. Hey, are you coming? The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls await."

When Emma walked into the Grill, she met with Liz.

"I ran the check on the history teacher. You want this before or after your big debut?"

"How's it look?"

"He checks out. Couple of speeding tickets. It's a rough story though. Turns out his wife went missing a few years back in North Carolina."

"North Carolina? She have a name?"

"Yeah. Isobel." She handed Emma Isobel's photo.

"Isobel." Emma looked out into the Grill at Alaric with a very devious look on her face. Afterwards, the auction soon was underway.

"And what do you do, bachelor number three?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, I'm a plumber."

"Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers. Moving on. Number four, 'Alaric Saltzman.' Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?"

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High."

"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?"

"History."

"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy."

"Uh, well..."

"You must have some great college stories, Ric. You went to Duke, right? I was there once. Your wife went there too if I remember correctly. I had a drink with her once. I ever tell you that? She had quite the taste…in wine and women. Mmm." Emma smirked. Elena, shocked, left the room immediately. Damon followed her.

"Elena," he said.

"She killed her? Emma was the vampire that killed her?"

"I don't know what happened. Alaric said that they never found the body."

"Oh my god."

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. But I just—I wanted to know more."

"I was feeling sorry for her, hoping that this whole Derek thing would change her. I'm so stupid."

"She doesn't know about the connection to you. I thought about confronting her, but she's already so on edge."

"Why are you protecting her?"

"Because you're not the only one hoping that she might actually change." They walked back into the Grill and Elena bumped into Emma.

"Whoa. Easy there. Buy a ticket like everyone else."

"Did you enjoy that? Rubbing it in to Alaric Saltzman?"

"What?"

"Just as I was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you."

"Am I missing something here?" Emma asked Stefan and Damon joined Elena.

"I've been looking for my birth mother, the one that gave me up."

"Does this story have an end?"

"Her name was Isobel." Emma's face blanched. "Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her." Elena rammed into Emma's shoulder as she walked past her.

"Nice," Damon growled to Emma before following after Elena. Emma heard Stefan chuckling behind her and rammed his face into a wall.

When Emma arrived at the Boarding House, she poured herself a drink. Quietly, Alaric entered the room with a stake in his hand.

"Are you really this stupid?" Emma asked as she finished pouring her drink and turned around to look at Alaric standing behind her. "Guess so." Emma put her drink down and vamp-ran at Alaric, throwing him across the room. Alaric landed on the floor, but quickly got back up, ready to attack. "You gonna put down the stake?" Alaric remained in an attacking stance. "Wow. That's courage." Emma walked toward Alaric.

"Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?"

"You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened."

"I saw you feeding on her."

"Yeah, I did, and she was delicious." Alaric ran toward Emma, but she easily pushed him back and giggled. "Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility? I turned her."

"Why?"

"She came to me! All pathetic, looking for vampires. There was something about her, something I liked. There was something special."

"You turned her because you liked her?"

"No, I slept with her because I liked her. I turned her because she begged me to. Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you? Hmm. I guess she wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you." Alaric approached Emma, but she stabbed Alaric with his own stake, puncturing his lung. "Ah, this is a shame. We're kindred spirits, abandoned by the people we care about. Sounds like I got a lung. Which means I get to sit here and watch you die."

Emma tossed Alaric to the floor. He gasped for air and placed his hand over his wound. Emma threw the stake down, grabbed her drink, and sat down on the sofa as she watched Alaric take one last breath before he died. Damon then walked in.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Do what? He attacked me. It was self-defense."

"Emma."

"All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it."

"Like you've been handling Derek?"

"I'm handling it fine. I'm assuming you'll take care of this. I just got my nails done." Emma left the room and Damon, exhausted by Emma's theatrics, sat down next to Alaric's body. How was he going to explain this to Elena? Suddenly, Damon saw Alaric's fingers move. He furrowed a brow and leaned over Alaric. Suddenly, Alaric gasped back to life, panting heavily. He sat up, confused.

"What happened? What's going on?" he asked.

"You were just...did Emma turn you?"

"No. I went for her and then she, uh, she stabbed me."

"You must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you."

"No. It's, uh, it's something else."

"Then how?"

"I, uh…" He looked down at the ring on his right hand. "Isobel. This ring protected me."

"That's impossible."

"I know."


	6. Help I'm Alive

"Well, I've tried to talk to her about it, but she's in shut me down mode," said Damon as he spoke with his girlfriend over the phone.

"Do you think she's still trying to figure out a way to retrieve the rest of her coven?"

"I don't know. She's waited a hundred and forty-five years only to fail off the bat. That's gotta sting."

"And it couldn't have happened to a nicer gal."

"Easy. Listen, I get that you have a reason to be pissed at her. You thought about what you're going to do?"

"About what? Isobel, my vampire birth mother, who's related to my vampire ancestor, Katherine, who screwed over my vampire boyfriend and his brother? Nah… I haven't thought about it at all."

"Lesson learned, Damon. Don't bring it up."

"It'd just be nice if we could get through one day without having to deal with any of it. No vampire mother or vampire ancestor..."

"No vampires at all?" Damon asked cautiously.

"No vampires but you," Elena replied seductively. "I just want to get back to normal stuff like school and here's a thought: fun."

"Hmm. Sounds good to me. How about we start tonight?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come over to my place. Say around eight. I'll wow you with my culinary skills."

"I look forward to it." Damon hung up when he opened the front door to the Boarding House. As he walked down the hallway, he sensed a presence. He turned to the living room and saw Pearl and Anna waiting for him.

"Hello, Damon," said Pearl.

"Ever hear of knocking?"

"An invitation wasn't necessary. I'm surprised that no living person resides here. Is it just you and your brother?"

"Yeah. How do you keep out unwelcome vampires?" Anna asked.

"I kill them." Damon ran toward Pearl and attempted to strangle her, but she twisted his wrist and pushed him to the floor.

"Have a seat, Damon. I was hoping we could have a word."

"Sure."

"We've taken up residence at a farmhouse just outside the town. It'll suffice for now."

"All twenty-five vampires?"

"Not all, some. I imagine that a few have already left town for Blackbriar. Others are probably still in the woods or like us acclimating."

"How did they get out of the tomb?"

"I think the witch screwed up that part of the hocus pocus," Anna said.

"I understand from Anna that the founding families still have a secret council?"

"And you're a part of it."

"That's ridiculous," Damon scoffed.

"I've been in Mystic Falls since the comet, Damon. I'm up to speed," Anna said.

"And so am I," Pearl added. "And now that you have infiltrated the council I'll need to know everything they know. Starting with a list of names of all the council members and their families."

"And everyone you've supplied with vervain."

"Yes, that will have to stop immediately."

"Hmm. Let me think about that?" Emma asked, waltzing into the room. "Nah."

"Mistress," Pearl gasped.

"Hello, Pearl. What exactly do you think you're doing? Trying to take control of _my_ coven? Yes, I'm well aware of your little farmhouse and your role as de facto leader."

"Mystic Falls is our home. They took that from us. Our land, our home. It's time we rebuild."

"Have you lost all your marbles? That was in 1864. The times have changed. The world's moved on."

"I'm not asking for any of your help. I'm demanding it!" Emma raised a brow and chuckled darkly.

"Oh boy," Damon whispered. Emma moved so she was nose to nose with Pearl.

"How dare you speak to me in such a tone, attempt to steal my status as the Blackbriar Coven Master." Emma grabbed Pearl's face and pushed her fingers into Pearl's eyes. The woman fell to the floor as Anna begged for her to stop. "I'm twice your age, little girl. I'll rip you limb from limb without even blinking and you know it. Now this is what's going to happen. You're going to take me to your little farmhouse and tell all of _my_ vampires that you found me and we will _both _re-establish the rules of the Coven. And if you refuse, I'll rip your daylight jewelry off and tie you to a tree. I just love the sound of roasting flesh. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Mistress," Pearl replied as she recovered.

"I'll be in touch, Damon," Emma replied as she left the house with Pearl and Anna.

Several minutes later, Emma arrived at the farmhouse and for the most part was welcomed with open arms by her coven mates. However, she quickly realized that Frederick might pose a problem. He had always been a temperamental vampire and a century locked in a tomb had not been good for his personality. When she brought some blood for her vampires, she saw a fight between Harper and Frederick. She sped into the living room and strangled Frederick.

"Back off!" Emma threw Frederick onto the couch. "We don't fight each other. Those are the rules."

"And I'm tired of your rules. I want out of this house. Why can't we go out on the town?"

"Eventually. I promise. But for now we have to keep a low profile."

"No one knows who I am."

"The Salvatore brothers do."

"And I wish to hell that I could run into them. They're the reason we were caught in the first place."

"May I remind you, Frederick, that Damon Salvatore is of this coven now? No one touches them. If they prove to be a problem, _I_ will deal with it. Now is not the time to be acting rashly."

That night after dinner at the Salvatore house, Elena was in Damon's lap, kissing him on the living room couch.

"I take it you were satisfied," Damon groaned.

"I'd be more satisfied if you'd shut up and just kiss me."

"Gladly."

Before things could grow more heated, Frederick and Beth-Anne crashed through the window. Stefan zoomed in, hearing the noise from the woods, and grabbed Frederick off Damon. Frederick immediately sped to Stefan and stabbed him with a piece of glass. Damon pulled the vampire off his brother and began to fight with him. Stefan pulled the glass out as Elena immediately took action against Beth-Anne, breaking a chair leg. She threw it to Stefan and he catapulted the make-shift stake across the room and into Beth-Anne's chest, striking her heart. Meanwhile, Damon sent Frederick flying across the room. Seeing the body of his dead girlfriend, Frederick fled.

"Elena, you okay?" Damon asked.

"I'm fine. Who was that?"

"I remember them from 1864. They were in the tomb," said Stefan.

"Yeah…about that," Damon murmured, shifting in his shoes.

Later at the farmhouse, Emma removed a bottle of blood from the fridge. She heard the door open and saw Frederick.

"Where is Beth-Anne?" she asked.

"She won't be coming back,"

"What happened? Where is she?"

"Well, you were right. We shouldn't have left."

"I see. No. You shouldn't have. Hungry?" Emma poured some blood into a glass. She held the glass out to Frederick and then stabbed him with a wooden spoon. She tauntingly placed the glass a few inches away from Frederick on the counter. Emma then returned to sink to pour another glass of blood.

"Next time you'll listen to me," Emma glared as she calmly drank from her glass.


End file.
